Once a month, the CALS Communications team hosts a workshop for all CALS departmental and unit communicators and communications enthusiasts. These sessions focus on best practices, tips and tools to ensure we are on-brand and effective in telling our college’s story.
We also seek to provide a space for networking and discussion among communicators in our college.
2023 Schedule
At these workshops, CALS Communications provides the latest practical guidance on various communications topics. and marketing topics. Have a topic you want us to cover? Email us.
Workshops are typically on the third Thursday of the month from 10 to 11 a.m.
| Workshop Title | Description | Host(s) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarComm Best Practices | Have a new or existing program that needs attention? This session will get you started on the right path. | Julie Hayworth-Perman and Justin Moore | 1/26 |
| Day of Giving Office Hours | Pop into a Day of Giving work session, and we’ll answer your questions, from social media and graphic design to fundraising and everything in between. | CALS Advancement and Comms | Floating in Feb. |
| Identify a Good Story and Creatively Tell It | How can you attract coverage of your department’s people, achievements and happenings? We’ll discuss how to zero in on newsworthy ideas and find fresh angles for your stories. Bring your ideas, and let’s brainstorm together. | D’Lyn Ford and Emma Macek | 3/16 |
| Creative Writing | We’ll tune into our creative minds and use that momentum to improve job-related writing. | Janine Brumfield | 4/20 |
| Webpage Building with Engaging Content | Create a webpage in WordPress that generates interest, engagement, and maximum impact. | Krystal Lynch | 5/18 |
| Design 101 | We’ll show you the basics of designing on-brand, accessible print and digital communications, including flyers, social media posts and digital billboards. | Patty Mercer and Leighann Vinesett | 6/15 |
| Creative Email Designs | Learn tips and tricks for designing and building on-brand email templates in MailChimp. | Leighann Vinesett | 7/21 |
| Getting Smartphone Savvy – Part 2 | Picking up from last year’s workshop, we’ll dive deeper into creatively capturing photos and videos with cell phones. | Keeshan Ganatra | 8/17 |
| Podcasting a Story | Learn a few tricks that can go a long way in helping get your podcast off the ground. | Chris Liotta | 9/21 |
| Science Photography | Capture the beauty and intrigue of science to elevate your research. | TBD | 10/19 |
| Level Up Your Social Media | Take your social media strategy and content to the next level. Learn how to create engaging content to foster community, increase brand awareness and creatively convey your message. | TBD | 11/16 |
Catch up on previous CALS Comm Workshops on YouTube.
Resources
Day-to-Day Communications Strategy
Our goal is to make your life easier while ensuring your amazing stories get the coverage they deserve.
- Have great students? Send them this Q&A sheet to fill out (make sure to view it in Adobe Reader), proof and post.
- Have great faculty? We have a Q&A template for them.
- Amazing alums? Same idea, different questions.
Ask for headshots with all of these, maybe write a brief introduction, and you have good content with less than 30 minutes of work.
Planning
The best way to save time is to plan and know the CALS message.
- CALS Brand Promise and Core Messages – keep these in mind as you write, and you’ll never go wrong.
- A strategic monthly communications plan at a glance – five easy pieces: CALS Comm Monthly Content Strategy. Four of those will take you half an hour or less.
- When you start to write, use the CALS Comm Post Planner to save time by quickly organizing your thoughts to stay on message.
Recorded Sessions and Presentations
Unable to attend a session or want to revisit discussions from past workshops? We have materials for you to view.
- Presentation – ‘A Beginner’s Mind’: Creative Writing Workshop – January 2020
- Video – Using Strategic Brand and Tone When Writing for NC State – October 2019
- Presentation – Using Strategic Brand and Tone When Writing for NC State – October 2019
- PowerPoint – I’m Creating a Video…Now What? – August 2019
- Video – Want to Take Better Pictures? – June 2019
- PowerPoint – Want to Take Better Pictures? – June 2019
- Video – How to Stand Out in a Saturated World – February 2019
- Video – Social Media: What Not to Do – January 2019
- Video – Photography Tricks, Tips and Basics for Research or Marketing – Sept. 28, 2017
- Video – Social Media Tips and Tricks – April 27, 2017
- PowerPoint – Department Websites Update – Feb. 23, 2017
- PowerPoint – Guide to Publishing Events and News on Department Websites – Feb. 23, 2017
- Video – 30 Minutes or Less: Busy-Day Communications – May 19, 2016
- Video – 5 Minutes or Less: Busy-Day Communications – May 19, 2016
- Video – Four Steps to Telling Fantastic Stories – April 21, 2016
- Video – Building a Communications Strategy, Part 1 and Part 2 – March 17, 2016
Catch up on previous CALS Comm Workshops on YouTube.